My blog used to be called Nappy Valley. But now I've moved to the dizzy heights of Crystal Palace (via a spell as an expat on Long Island, New York). And my Littleboys are long out of nappies.

Friday, 16 January 2009

Manic children - and an award to make up for it

With the chicken pox in retreat, Littleboy 1 went back to nursery yesterday. After several days languishing at home, he was brimming with energy - awake at 5.30am, demanding that I switch on the light and read him a book called 'Lift the flap - dinosaurs' at 6.30 (I refused - does that make me a bad mummy?) and hurtling into the nursery like a tornado at 8am. Not two hours later the nursery phoned to say he had cut his head running into a door, and while it didn't look too bad, they wondered whether I would like to come and take him to Casualty?

After several discussions with The Doctor, we decided to leave it, as it wasn't still bleeding, and Daddy would look at it later. Which he did, and luckily decided it was fine. (Well, there have to be some compensations for being married to a doctor). Meanwhile Littleboy 1 was as manic as ever, racing around the house last night, asking for Pingu (which always makes him completely wild - a friend of ours has a theory that Pingu has been made more hyper over the years, but that's another whole post) and refusing to go to bed until 9pm.

This morning both Littleboys seemed just as crazy and were in dire need of burning off some of their energy. The weather being damp and grey, I decided to take them to the Horniman Museum, a few miles down the road from us in Forest Hill. There's a good aquarium there, and lots of stuffed animals (very un PC but the Littleboys don't seem to care). Most importantly, they could race around it rather than around my house.

I looked on the website and noticed that there was a 'kids' storytelling' session for Under Fives at 10, so when we arrived, we took a ticket and went along. I wondered naively if this might be an opportunity to sit and have a cup of coffee while someone else read to my children. But no....

Not only was it a major mistake with two manic children, who were not going to sit still for one second, the 'storytelling' also seemed to involve lots of parental participation (joining in with actions, shouting Cock a doodle do etc) that I just wasn't in the mood for. Despite the valiant efforts of the storyteller, it reminded me rather too much of Rabbit Rhymes, and, after a bad night's sleep, I was starting to remind myself of one of the parents I once described who sits there looking desperate back to be back in the office. I kept my eye on the clock throughout, praying that it would finish, as the Littleboys fought over who got to sit on Mummy's lap and threw the cushions that they were supposed to be sitting on around the room.

Much better was the aquarium, where the Littleboys managed to entertain a party of teenage schoolgirls who had clearly been sent there by an over-enthusiastic art teacher to draw fish and looked incredibly bored by the task. And then they raced around the room containing the stuffed animals for about half an hour in a state of high excitement. I think I may have finally exhausted them....

Anyway, despite my manic morning, there is something to brighten my day. I am delighted to find that I am the recipient of an award (see above) from no less than two of my favourite fellow bloggers, Mom/Mum and A Confused Take That Fan.

This one is a Spanish award, no less, for 'being charming' (does that make me Penelope Cruz then? I do hope so). And I am supposed to include the following text as I pass it on:

"Blogs who receive this award are "exceedingly charming," says its authors. This award is a fine one because it focuses not on the glory and fanfare of blogging, but in the PROXIMITY to one another through this online-world. This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY--nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into into the body of their award."

Well, although I confess I didn't really start blogging with the intention of making friends, I do feel like I've found some real kindred spirits through the blogosphere (andI love the way that bloggers sometimes reveal more about their lives than ever your real friends would). So I approve.

I'm going to pass it on to just a couple of others - as I really must go and pay some attention to my children now. More than just a Mother, a relatively new blogger who has already managed to make me laugh a lot, and Wife in Hong Kong, because not only do I love reading about where I grew up, I think she's a very good blogger and more people should read her. And both, of course, are charming.

I should warn you that in America, a 'stuffed animal' is what you or I would call a 'soft toy'. Takes a bit of getting used to. I still do a double-take when I get a note home from preschool saying "your child may bring his/her favorite stuffed animal to preschool tomorrow".

Ooh I shall pop over to your recommended blogs shortly. I too have tried a story time. Mine was at the local library and littlest kept walking up to the rather stern lady who was reading the story and touching the book, shouting at things she knew 'Rabbit' 'Dog'. The woman looked annoyed, as did the other children and we have never been back. It wasn't relaxing at all.As for Pingu. I see what your friend means. He can also be a bit naughty...

About Me

I'm a business journalist, wife to The Doctor and mother to two boys. I left London's 'Nappy Valley' in 2009 for a four year sojourn in New York. Now I'm back in South London, settling into British life once again and trying not to miss the yellow schoolbus too much as I grapple with the school run.